Multi-year precipitation records also strongly correlate with geyser behavior. Based on these results, the study proposes that an extended drought should result in longer intervals between eruptions, and perhaps even cessation of activity in some geysers. In contrast, in years with high precipitation, eruption intervals should be more frequent.

Yellowstone National Park has been in the grips of an eight-year drought, with scientists and visitors reporting parched streams and lakes, withered plants, and declining populations of some animals. Climatologists warn that global warming is causing a profound shift in the climate of the American West, one that will leave it with reduced rainfall for decades.